Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
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Asbab <strong>al</strong>-Nuzul<br />
<strong>The</strong> Prophet, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, went when he was summoned. Abu T<strong>al</strong>ib said to him:<br />
‘<strong>The</strong>se are your people and cousins!’ <strong>The</strong> Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, asked<br />
them: ‘What do you want’ <strong>The</strong>y said: ‘We want you to leave us <strong>al</strong>one with our idols and we will leave<br />
you <strong>al</strong>one with your <strong>Al</strong>lah’. Abu T<strong>al</strong>ib said: ‘Your people are being fair with you, so give your consent’.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, said: ‘If I agree to this would you agree to<br />
give me one sentence, if you were to utter it, you would rule over the Arabs and non-Arabs <strong>al</strong>ike’ Abu<br />
Jahl said: ‘Yes, by your father, we will give it to you and <strong>al</strong>so give you ten other things like it; but what is<br />
it He said: ‘Say: there is no god but <strong>Al</strong>lah!’ <strong>The</strong>y refused and expressed their aversion at this propos<strong>al</strong>,<br />
upon which Abu T<strong>al</strong>ib said; ‘Son of my brother, ask for something else, for your people are wary of this’.<br />
He said: ‘O uncle, I am not one who would ask for other than that. If they were to place the sun in my<br />
hand, I would not ask for anything other than that’. <strong>The</strong> chiefs of Quraysh said: ‘You would better stop<br />
reviling our idols or we will revile you and revile He Who commands you’. And so <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He,<br />
reve<strong>al</strong>ed this verse”. 23<br />
(And they swear a solemn oath by <strong>Al</strong>lah that if there come unto them a portent they will believe<br />
therein...) [6:109] up to (Howbeit, most of them are ignorant) [6:111].<br />
Muhammad ibn Musa ibn <strong>al</strong>-Fadl informed us> Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub <strong>al</strong>-Umawi> Ahmad ‘Abd <strong>al</strong>-<br />
Jabbar> Yunus ibn Bukayr> Abu Ma‘shar> Muhammad ibn Ka‘b who said: “<strong>The</strong> Quraysh spoke to the<br />
Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace. <strong>The</strong>y said: ‘You inform us that Moses, peace<br />
be upon him, had a staff with which he struck a stone and twelve springs gushed forth, and that Jesus,<br />
peace be upon him, revived the dead, and that Thamud had a camel; why do you not bring us some of<br />
those signs so that we believe in you’ <strong>The</strong> Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, asked<br />
them: ‘What sign do you want me to bring you’ <strong>The</strong>y said: ‘Turn [mount] <strong>al</strong>-Safa into gold’. He said:<br />
‘Would you believe in me if I did as you ask’ <strong>The</strong>y said: ‘Yes, by <strong>Al</strong>lah, if you do, we will <strong>al</strong>l follow you’.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, stood up and began supplicating. <strong>The</strong>n,<br />
Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to him and said: ‘If you wish, I can turn <strong>al</strong>-Safa into gold. However,<br />
never did I send a sign that people disbelieved in except that I sent chastisement after it. If you wish, I<br />
will leave them until some of them decide to repent’. <strong>The</strong> Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give<br />
him peace, said: ‘Leave them until some of them decide to repent’. And so <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed<br />
(And they swear a solemn oath by <strong>Al</strong>lah that if there come unto them a portent they will believe therein) up<br />
to His words (… they would not believe unless <strong>Al</strong>lah so willed…) [6:111]”. 24<br />
(And eat not of that whereon <strong>Al</strong>lah’s name hath not been mentioned…) [6:121].<br />
<strong>The</strong> idolaters said: “O Muhammad, tell us: ‘When a sheep dies, who has killed it’ He said: ‘<strong>Al</strong>lah killed<br />
it!’ <strong>The</strong>y said: ‘How is it then that that which is killed by you and your Companions is lawful, that which<br />
is killed by a dog or bird of prey is lawful but that which is killed by <strong>Al</strong>lah is unlawful’ And so <strong>Al</strong>lah,<br />
ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed this verse”. 25<br />
Said ‘Ikrimah: “When <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed the unlawfulness of the meat of carrion, the Magians<br />
among the people of Persia wrote to the idolaters of Quraysh, who were their <strong>al</strong>lies in the pre-<strong>Islamic</strong><br />
period and kept contact with each other, that Muhammad and his Companions claim that they follow<br />
the command of <strong>Al</strong>lah but then say that what they slaughter is lawful and that which is slaughtered by<br />
<strong>Al</strong>lah is unlawful. This caused doubt in the minds of some Muslims, and so <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed<br />
this verse”. 26<br />
23<br />
Tabari, :309-310; Durr, :339.<br />
24<br />
Durr, :340; Tabari, :312; Qurtubi, :62.<br />
25<br />
Durr, :348; Tabari, :17.<br />
26<br />
Tabari, :16; Durr, :348-349.<br />
108
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